1. Exploring the Religions of Our World
Chapter 8 Japanese Religions

2. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
The Basics
Shinto (the indigenous religious tradition of Japan) emerged from Japan’s prehistory
Japanese religion is an amalgamation of religions:
Shinto
Confucianism
Buddhism
Taoism

3. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Periods of Japanese Religious History
Page 325

4. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History
The basic myth of the creation of Japan and its people:
kami (spirits) emerged just after the beginning of heaven and earth and created other kami
both the mythological and historical emperors of Japan are from an unbroken line originating in the sun goddess
the Japanese have long believed that they, their land, and their emperor, have divine origins, setting them apart from all the world

5. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Chinese Influence:
Japanese indigenous religion adopted the Confucian notion of li (proper behavior)
aspects of Confucianism and Taoism were adopted and adapted into the indigenous religious expression
Shinto was the name of the indigenous Japanese religion given by the Chinese

6. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Forms of Buddhism in Japan:
Heian Period ( )
Buddhism became the prominent religious tradition
Tendai Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism were introduced to Japan

7. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Vajrayana Buddhism
Taught Enlightenment is possible
in this lifetime; elaborate rituals;
secret Transmission of insight;
instructive scriptures
History (continued)
Many sects of Buddhism flourished during the Kamakura Shogunate ( ):
Tendai Buddhism
Focused on the Lotus Sutra
which taught that
Enlightenment was universal
Pure Land Buddhism
Taught that all had the
opportunity to be reborn in
blissful Pure Land by showing
great devotion to Amida Buddha

8. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
… and two schools of Zen Buddhism:
Rinzai Zen
Believed a person could gain
immediate Enlightenment;
emphasis on the use of the koan
Soto Zen
Believed Enlightenment was
a gradual process;
emphasized “seated
meditation” (zazen)

9. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
History (continued)
Two notable koans:
What was your face like
before your parents
were born?
When a tree falls in a forest
Where no one is present,
does it make a sound?

10. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures
Shinto has no official sacred texts.
These are considered authoritative and significant for both the religious and historical heritage of the Japanese people:
Nihonshoki
Chronicles of Japan
(the history of Japan
beginning with the
Japanese creation myth)
The Kojiki
Record of Ancient Matters
(a compilation of the oral myths
and legends of the Japanese
people)

11. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Beliefs and Practices
are not gods but rather it has to do with whatever is sacred, such as the natural world (mountains, rivers, trees, rocks)
can be human beings, the emperor, great warriors, poets, scholars, and wise ancestors
focus on aid and protection
are both creative as well as destructive
are prayed to in local or national shrines, in homes or in nature
Kami

12. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Beliefs and Practices (continued)
Important things emphasized in Japanese living:
The
extended
family/clan
Harmony
Loyalty

13. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Time
Matsuri is the name for Japanese festivals:
Hina Matsuri
Girl’s Day
(celebrated by
dressing dolls in
traditional costumes)
Omisoka
The Year-End Festival
(day of preparation for
New Year’s Day)
Obon
(three day festival
celebrating the
return home of
ancestral spirits
for a short time)
Kodomo no Hi
Children’s Day
(public holiday with
tradition of kite flying)
Shogatsu
The New Year
(three day celebration)

14. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Sacred Places and Sacred Spaces
There is no place that is not sacred on the land of Japan because all of Japan has a divine origin.
Some special places:
Shrines
(home, local,
and national)
Temples
Ise
(shrine for the
imperial family
in ancient Japan)
The Natural World
(mountains, rivers,
trees, boulders)

15. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Japanese Religions through a Catholic Lens
Similarity:
Sacred time is defined as “the extraordinary within the ordinary” --- a taste of the infinite in the finite
Differences:
Rather than using the four seasons of nature to help designate sacred time while Christians use Easter as the central event of the Christian year
The liturgical year is based on significant events in the life of Christ and his Church rather than the four seasons of nature

16. Chapter 8 Japanese Religions
Vocabulary
Shinto
kami
shogunate
zazen
koan
Soka Gakkai
kamidana
butsudan
samuri warriors
harajiri
kimono
tori
kami body
feast days